MALE koalas are on the move and looking for love as the koala breeding season begins.
With koalas migrating into new and unfamiliar territories in search for prospective mates, mayor Karen Williams has urged the community to be mindful of the increased activity to help make sure no love is lost.
“In addition to breeding season, it is also the time of year when last year’s juvenile koalas leave their mothers to forge their own path and find their own homes,” Cr Williams said.
“This means there is also greater movement among our younger and more inexperienced koala populations, so we all need to take extra care to keep them safe by adhering to speed limits on the roads, making sure our yards are koala friendly and keeping pets inside at night.”
Cr Williams said between July and December, koalas could be seen in unexpected places as they explored new ground.
She encouraged anyone who saw a koala to notify council.
Cr Williams also said people could register for a visit from the koala detection dogs which tracked koalas and were part of council’s five-year Koala Conservation Action Plan.
“This project is a critical first step in understanding koala density, population size, survival rates, health and genetics, and identifying important koala habitat,” she said.
“The detection dogs will be undertaking scat surveys throughout certain suburbs but if you see koalas in your own backyard or have a koala tree on your property you can register for a visit by contacting the koala population assessment register at IndigiScapes.”
Phone 3824 8611 or email indigiscapes@redland.qld.gov.au.
Tips to help keep koala’s safe:
- Adhere to speed limits on the roads at all times but especially at night.
- Keep yards koala friendly – put ‘scamper ramps’ in place to help koalas get up and over fences and out of swimming pools.
- Keep pets restrained or inside at night.
- Keep dogs on their leashes outside designated dog off-leash areas.
- Record koala sightings on The Atlas of Living Australia (ala.org.au).
